A Chic New Cannabis Dispensary Migrates to Middletown

Accessible cannabis in the Hudson Valley? Thanks to one new shop in Orange County, the alternative cure is easier than ever to procure for locals who suffer from chronic pain and other ailments.

The Botanist, a medical cannabis dispensary, opened on January 26 at 247 Dunning Road in Middletown. Patients with state-registered medical-marijuana identification cards can consult with the licensed staff pharmacist and shop for vape pens, tinctures, powders, capsules, and oral sprays right inside the store.

Although this is a licensed medical facility, don’t expect a bland, sterile look. True to its name, The Botanist’s interior — designed by award-winning architecture and interior design firm McKinley Burkart — is warm and welcoming. A plant-lined (houseplants, not cannabis) wall provides a lush backdrop, and wood-and-glass cases display inert (read: empty) samples of their products.

Patients looking for treatment options begin by entering a small lobby that’s separate from the main shop. Once they show their ID card, they are allowed into the shop, where they can consult with the pharmacist or get help from patient-care specialists on the retail floor. Customer service doesn’t end after the cannabis is in hand: patients get a follow-up call to check on their relief and are invited back to be reassessed if they don’t feel better.

“Patient care is our core value,” says Howard Schacter, head of communications for Acreage Holdings, parent company of The Botanist. “We’re really proud of the compassionate care we’re giving.”

Why did The Botanist choose Middletown?

“There are more than 4,000 registered medical marijuana patients in Middletown,” says Sonya Parrish, director of NYS operations for The Botanist. “Now, they won’t have to travel nearly an hour to get relief.”

The Botanist is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Through the end of February, all veterans as well as Medicare or Medicaid patients who shop at The Botanist will receive a 10 percent discount.

The Botanist is the second New York State-licensed medical cannabis dispensary for Acreage Holdings, the largest US cannabis operator with an expanding nationwide footprint of medical and adult-use dispensaries. The company plans to open other dispensaries in Queens and Long Island in New York. It has similarly branded dispensaries in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Ohio.

Of course, it is not the only cannabis dispensary in the Hudson Valley. This year, it joins Curaleaf in Newburgh, Etain Health in Kingston, Remedy Hudson Valley in Bardonia, and Vireo Health in Albany, to name a few.